1. Field of Invention
The field of the currently claimed embodiments of this invention generally relates to systems and methods for tracking and navigation such as, for example, in surgery, other image-guided interventions (e.g., radiation therapy), and other applications involving geometric registration of a physical (world) coordinate system and that of an image (or images).
2. Discussion of Related Art
In image-guided surgery, for example, surgical tools such as, for example, drills, surgical instruments, needles, and the like, as well as the patient, are generally tracked relative to a global (room) coordinate system by a six degrees-of-freedom (6 DOF) position tracking device (tracker) such as, for example, an optical tracker using multiple optical cameras. Intraoperative images taken, for example, using a mobile or ceiling- (or floor-) mounted C-arm imager, may also be obtained and registered to the room coordinate system. As depicted in FIG. 1, registration is conventionally achieved by mounting the tracker somewhere within the room and placing reference markers A, B, C, etc. (fiducials) on the tools as well as on the body of the C-arm imager to track the tools and C-arm externally.
Typical placement of the tracker device within the room, however, can often provide limited or interrupted line-of-sight for the tracker device during the procedure. This, in turn, risks diminished tracking accuracy as well as increased time in correctly aligning tracked elements, e.g., a C-arm, with respect to the table, the patient, etc.
What is needed is a tracking and navigation system with improved field-of-view and line-of-sight for the tracker as well as improved accuracy, ease of set up, alignment and calibration, and which has a reduced footprint.